


Family

by GiveMeABreak80



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Barden Bellas are a family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiveMeABreak80/pseuds/GiveMeABreak80
Summary: A lot of the Bellas have things that plague them, but being in the Barden Bellas means they have a family that will always support them no matter what.
Relationships: Ashley Jones/Jessica Smith, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> This has some triggering stuff in it, so please read the tags and make the healthiest choice for yourself.  
> With that said, I haven't done anything really like this before, so I hope it's good. And if I've misrepresented something or made a mistake, please let me know because I don't have personal experiences with all of these things.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

The Bellas look out for each other.

When depression takes the normally energetic Chloe to her knees, the Bellas are there for her. On the days when Beca can’t lead her downstairs with light kisses and warm touches, Jessica and Ashley bring her breakfast in bed, filling the room with idle conversation to keep Chloe out of her head. When the redhead finally makes it downstairs, Lilly sometimes tries to make her tea, which Chloe never drinks, but she thanks the strange girl anyway. It’s the gesture that counts. Fat Amy, rattled at seeing Chloe so empty, makes a not-so-subtle attempt to make more jokes at everyone’s expense but Chloe’s. Beca is with her during the night, but throughout the day, the Bellas make sure she’s never alone. Not for longer than five minutes, at least. They all know her past coping mechanism of drawing red lines into her skin, so they switch out being with her. None of the Bellas have ever told her that they do it, nor do they ever talk about it, but all of them know. Just like when Chloe’s enduring those dark days, all of the razors disappear out of the bathroom. No one mentions it, but they all know. And during the long nights, Beca hugs her close, whispering quiet words of comfort and assurance to battle the vicious voices in Chloe’s head. Chloe doesn’t know where she’d be without her family.

When a panic attack hits Emily before a performance, one of the Bellas always walks her through breathing exercises to bring her back down. Beca found out that soothing music calms the younger girl, so she always has her headphones on hand for her. They never talk about it, but the Bellas make sure they have grounding items with them no matter where they go, just in case. In the unholy hours of the morning, Stacie walks Emily through plans because all of them know Emily can’t sleep unless she knows everything is accounted for and things won’t go wrong. But when accidents happen or something goes awry, Chloe’s there to hug Emily and assure her that it’s ok, that they can handle it, that sometimes things go wrong and there’s nothing they can do but move forward. After a long day, it’s mostly Jessica who listens to Emily rant about it because they all know Emily processes things by talking through them, so they’re all happy to listen. If Emily has a panic attack in public, Fat Amy is the one to step up and take all the unwanted attention away from her by making a joke, doing something stupid, or punching someone, and Flo knows all the hiding spots in the Bella house where Emily might be, so she can find Emily in under a minute and keep her company when she’s overwhelmed. Emily doesn’t know where she’d be without her family.

When holidays roll around and everyone goes home to their families, the Bellas make sure Cynthia-Rose has a place to go. Which person she goes with changes, but CR always feels welcome in the Bella’s blood families. They always make sure she doesn’t have to spend a holiday alone again. In the middle of the night, when the chronic loneliness of being abandoned by her family knocks the wind out of her, at least one of the Bellas is always there for her. Sometimes it’s Beca, who stays up late with her music and plays CR some new mixes. Sometimes it’s Emily, who is all soft words and soft singing to soothe and reassure the older girl. And sometimes it’s Stacie, having returned to the Bella house late at night after certain fun activities, who drops everything and holds her until Cynthia-Rose feels better. The Bellas go to pride every year to remind CR that she’s not abnormal and that tons of people love her for being her, that she doesn’t have to change for anyone. The fact that Stacie is pan, Flo is bi, Ashley is with Jessica, and Beca is with Chloe really helps her feel safe; surrounded by gay people and amazing allies. Fat Amy making an abundance of gay jokes and doing the worst job of match-making makes CR feel not only safe but embraced. Cynthia-Rose doesn’t know where she’d be without her family. 

When the stress of life makes Beca’s OCD almost unmanageable, the Bellas are there for her, even when she acts like she doesn’t want it. She went through treatment in her teen years, but that doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing. They don’t look twice but are sure not to join her when Beca does her rituals when turning the lights on or getting coffee or touching things. The Bellas know there’s no point in telling Beca to stop doing the little things that give her comfort, but when Beca finally breaks down, they’re always there for her. It’s normally Chloe, who is the one that Beca is the most comfortable with touching her, who sits down and wraps the tiny brunette in a hug, holding her until the sobs cease. But when Chloe’s out, it’s either Emily who wraps her in a huge hug or Stacie who insists they cuddle in bed or Ashley who makes her hot chocolate. The Bellas may not interfere with small things, but when Beca’s rituals get out of hand, like when she insists on checking all the locks on the house many times over, or when she has to walk all the way back home and back to a bar, they stop her. Chloe takes Beca’s hands in hers and tells her that she can’t do that, but it’ll be ok, the terrible thoughts in her head won’t come true. The Bellas give her privacy when Chloe takes her through some breathing exercises before they continue on and have a great night. Beca never says it, but they all know how grateful she is for their help. Beca doesn’t know where she’d be without her family.

When PTSD from her sexual assault during high school hits Ashley, the Bellas are always there. Whether it be Jessica waking her from nightmares and holding her tight as the sun rises, or the Bella’s actions constantly reassuring her that they won’t betray her, or them helping her through flashbacks and panic attacks. Cynthia-Rose and Fat Amy keep an extra eye out for her when they go clubbing, ready to jump in and fight if a guy even looks at her the wrong way. Jessica always helps her breathe her way through panic attacks, and if Jessica isn’t there, Chloe or Beca or Emily or Stacie is. When flashbacks happen, Beca, Jessica, or Chloe hold her hand, give her ice and other grounding items, and remind her of the present. The grounding items that all of the Bellas carry around are not only for Emily, they’re also for Ashley. Sometimes when part-flashbacks happen, the Bellas are happy to distract her in any way: talking, dancing, singing, watching a movie, or anything else she needs. And after the memories pass, they’re always there with hot chocolate or tea with dairy milk chocolate bars: Ashley’s comfort food. In public, when Ashley sidles up to either Jessica or Stacie because she saw someone that looked like him, there’s always a comforting arm and the Bellas shift to surround her, making her feel safer than she’d ever think she’d feel again. Ashley doesn’t know where she’d be without her family. 

When there are really loud noises or when a storm hits, the Bellas are there to comfort Flo. The Guatemalan girl never quite explained why she hates loud noises or storms, but when the Bellas noticed how she flinched and hid, they vowed to help her. Thunderstorms are the worst, but Chloe’s always there with warm drinks, Emily brings blankets, Beca plays soft music, Fat Amy jokes about anything and everything, and the rest of the Bellas join them to help make and sit in the blanket fort. It’s their little ritual now, whenever a storm hits. Cynthia-Rose is sure to sit beside her protectively despite the fact you can’t protect someone from a storm, but it helps. If a loud crashing or booming noise ever happens near Flo, Beca is instantly there, Chloe and Stacie very close behind to calm her from a wave of anxiety. Beca made a playlist just for Flo with songs she found soothed her the best. Afterwards, Stacie always stands next to Flo with an arm wrapped around her waist to be her strong, tall protector. If Stacie’s not there, then Emily is. Emily can’t look as dangerous and protective as Stacie, but her tall presence is still very welcome. It’s something about having a tall friend beside her tiny frame that’s very helpful for her. The Bellas don’t know why Flo is so affected by storms and noises, not for lack of gentle promptings and “we’re here for you”s, but they don’t have to know to help her feel safe no matter what. Flo doesn’t know where she’d be without her family.

When the urges filling Stacie’s mind become too strong for her, she’s never left defenseless with the Bellas. All of the Bellas notice when she skips a meal, and they approach her after the second. It’s normally Beca or Chloe who comes up to her, face filled with concern to ask why she’s not eating. Stacie knows better than to snap at them and lie, so she lets herself be wrapped in the warmth of their collective love. During the dinners where she’s nervously pushing food around her plate, Beca gives her a soft smile with a firm look, telling her that it’s ok but she’ll have to eat something. When Fat Amy notices, she jokes extra loud to take the attention off the tall girl so it’s easier for her to stomach the food. But on nights she can’t bring herself to eat, Jessica and Ashley quietly make a smoothie for her after dinner, knowing that’s the easiest thing for Stacie to ingest when she feels this way. Sometimes the guilt sits on her heavily, not letting her sleep, and it’s then that Emily crawls into bed with her, telling her that she’s beautiful and strong and the doubts in her head are wrong. It’s on those nights that Emily sings Stacie softly to sleep. The next day is variable, but, just like with Chloe, the Bellas make sure there is always one of them present during Stacie’s meals, to make sure she eats and is comfortable. It’s something that will always plague Stacie, but she knows she’ll be ok with the Bellas at her side. Stacie doesn’t know where she’d be without her family.

The Bellas are a family and they’ll always be there for each other. Always.

  
  



End file.
